Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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32 DECEMBER 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy's Am- arri Irvin announced his commitment to Notre Dame Nov. 26, giving the Irish a big-time linebacker pledge in the 2027 class. "I've learned how important the standard and brotherhood at Notre Dame are," Irvin told Blue & Gold Illus- trated. "The people you'll be around and work with are really important. When I went to Notre Dame and looked at the people they produce on and off the field, they're individuals who keep the stan- dard and work hard. "That really stood out to me, and I wanted to be in that environment. I want to be pushed every day. I want to be the best I can be in academics and athletically." Notre Dame offered the 6-foot, 215-pounder on its Pot of Gold Day in March. While that was in Irvin's soph- omore year, the Irish were late to of- fer him, with his recruitment getting started very early. Nebraska was offer No. 1 back in January 2023 when he was in the eighth grade. He had some interest in Notre Dame initially, but matters didn't ramp up be- tween the two parties until June when college coaches could start texting 2027 prospects, and that's when Irvin took his first trip to South Bend. Irvin loved that trip and knew he wanted to re- turn to campus for a game, and his IMG Academy bye week lined up with Notre Dame's home matchup against North Carolina State Oct. 11. "They were really on me," Irvin added. "They helped me throughout my junior season, giving me feedback on my tape. I had two great visits there, and the coaches and recruiters are genuine people." Irvin became a heavy Notre Dame lean after that visit. "My mind was all on Notre Dame," Ir- vin said. "I couldn't stop thinking about going there and how great the visit was. I saw the defense ball out, and the line- backers played great. I loved to see how the team rallied around each other. "In talking to my parents and people around me, I knew it was the school that fits me most, will push me and be the best for me." The Notre Dame staff was fired up when he called to commit. "Coach [Marcus] Freeman said that he was proud of me for making the de- cision for the right reasons," Irvin re- called. "That made me feel even better about my decision. [Linebacker] Coach [Max] Bullough was excited. He said that it really made his day. He's a great coach, and I can't wait to be coached by him." There's a year and change until Na- tional Signing Day for the 2027 class, but Irvin feels confident in his decision to commit early. He has no plans to con- sider other programs moving forward. "I wanted to commit early to be a leader in this class and bring others along with me," he said. "I'm commit- ted to Notre Dame. I'm focused on my offseason to prepare for my senior sea- son and then freshman spring coming in. I'm committed and will try to bring others with me." The last name Irvin is football royalty. Amarri's father is a cousin of NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. His father, Sedrick Irvin Sr., was a star at Michigan State in the late 1990s and played in the NFL from 1999-2003 with the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. He worked at Alabama with Nick Saban from 2008-09 and spent time at Mem- phis and East Carolina as well. He was a head coach at three different South Florida high schools from 2011-22. Amarri's older brother, Sedrick Jr., is a name Irish fans should be familiar with. He was committed to the Irish early in the 2023 class before the two sides parted ways. Sedrick Jr. signed with Stanford and is a junior running back for the Cardinal. "My brother has always supported me," the younger Irvin said. "He never had anything against Notre Dame. As his little brother, I was concerned at first, but I asked him about it, and he said that he wanted what's best for me." With Sedrick Jr. at Stanford and Am- arri committing to Notre Dame, this is clearly a family that values academics. "That always comes first, no matter what," Amarri said. During his nine-game junior season, Irvin posted 36 stops, 6 tackles for loss, 4 sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, 3 in- terceptions and 1 pass deflection. IMG Academy went undefeated in 2025 and blew out most of its opponents. Irvin held scholarship offers from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and many others. He didn't publicly narrow down his list, but his recruitment came down to Georgia, North Carolina and Notre Dame. Irvin is a three-star prospect and ranks as the No. 38 linebacker nation- ally according to Rivals. He becomes Notre Dame's seventh commitment of the 2027 class and sec- ond linebacker pledge, joining Mobile (Ala.) Williamson's Ellis McGaskin. ✦ COMMITMENT PROFILE AMARRI IRVIN FILM ANALYSIS "Amarri Irvin is a physical, instinctive line- backer who has been a productive player at IMG. He plays with high energy and motor. Irvin is very physical and eager to take on blocks. He fights through contact, and he has the look of an inside linebacker at the college level. "The effort level really pops when you watch IMG. He makes plays as a run defender and in coverage. He has a tendency to be around the football." — Rivals director of scouting and rankings Charles Power Notre Dame Lands Big-Time Florida Linebacker Rivals ranks Irvin — who had offers from Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and oth- ers — as the No. 38 linebacker in the junior class. PHOTO BY MIKE SINGER